Page 27 of Summer Sweethearts
She smiles at me shyly as she walks down the aisle toward us. I can’t help thinking that this should be us. She should be in a white gown, walking down the aisle to me to be my forever. A throat clearing forces me to drag my eyes away from her, and I look to see Jessica with a coy smile on her face as she stares me down. She tosses me a wink, then wags her brows before turning back around to wait for the men of the hour to come down the aisle.
A Thousand Yearsby Christina Perri plays as Cain and Aiden appear, walking hand in hand down the aisle before stopping in front of the arch. Molly is a mess of tears as she buries her head in Ted’s shoulder, and Cain smiles at her.Well, at least he knows now, and I don’t have to worry about spilling the beans.Turning to watch the soon-to-be newlyweds exchange vows, my eyes once again lock on Etta, and my heart skips a beat when I see her staring back at me. She quickly diverts her eyes to Aiden’s back, and I chuckle silently at her antics.
I replay the kiss we shared the other night, and while I wish it was under different circumstances and that I was sober, I don’t regret it. She kissed me back. She may have pushed me away and ran like her ass was on fire… but she kissed me back; that’s all I need to know to be sure she still has feelings for me. I don’t want anyone to think I plan on stealing her away from Jessica. I see how happy they are together, and while I don’t know the ins and outs of being in a polyamorous relationship, it’s working for my cousin and her two guys. Why can’t it work for me with these two ladies?
“I now pronounce you husband and husband, partners for life. You may now seal your vows with a kiss!” the minister voices from her podium, and Cain leans in, kissing Aiden tenderly.
I can’t help but feel overjoyed for my cousin. He has pined, longed, and wanted Aiden for as long as I can remember. I am glad he finally got up off his ass and did something about it, or I should say my Aunt Molly did something about it.
“It is my pleasure to introduce the new Cain and Aiden Morale!” The ceremony guests all stand, clapping, cheering, and whistling as Cain and Aiden make their way hand in hand back down the aisle. Music plays softly, and the wedding party follows behind them. As I head to the aisle, I’m met with Etta, and she despondently looks at me. I flash a small smile, extending the crook of my arm for her to take as we walk side by side to the reception.
* * *
Dinner was amazing; I expected nothing less when Dwight was in charge of the entire meal. His passion may lie with desserts, but the man is a genius in the kitchen, period. The DJ summons Cain and Aiden to the dance floor andYou Are the Reasonby Calum Scott and Leona Lewis plays. The two sway back and forth, smiling at one another while kissing occasionally. They look so damn happy, and I can’t help but be a tad envious of what they have.
I’m leaning up against the traveling bar they paid for, watching them dance when an elbow lands firmly in my side. I grunt and turn to see Jessica giving me a skeptical but semi-annoyed look. “Hey, Jess, everything okay?” I ask.
“I don’t know, Mike.Iseverything okay? You kissed my girlfriend and some might call that cheating.” She crosses her arms across her chest, and I’m reminded of how attractive I thought she was when I met her on our first date a few years ago. I was drawn to her, and I was seriously trying to move on with my life, but I was living in denial. Jessica is actually the first one who didn’t just try to fuck me and disappear. She called me on my shit, being in love with my ex, and left it at that.
“Yeah, I guess it was technically cheating. I was drunk and an asshole. I apologize for how it happened, but I’m glad that it did, because it showed me where I stand with her,” I tell her boldly, and her brows quirk.
“And where is that?”
“I’m hoping with Etta,” I murmur before taking a sip of my drink. Speak of the devil, Etta’s laugh catches my attention, and I turn to see her dancing with Cara. She’s voguing Cara’s baby bump as Cara’s head is thrown back in a deep laugh. Etta looks our way, and I raise my glass to her. In my peripheral, I see Jessica smile at her. Quickly, she averts her gaze and focuses back on Cara.
“So tell me, if you see yourself with Loretta, where does that leave me? I’m not going to just go away because you two have some long sordid past. I am in love with that woman, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she is my forever.” Jessica grabs her drink from the bartender, mouthingthank you.
“I may have been drunk when I sent my text, but I meant what I said. If she’ll have me and you are good with it, of course. Why can’t we have what Cara has?” I ask, and I notice the slight hint of desperation in my voice. Jessica has to be on board for this to work, and I really want and need her to be on board.
“I’m sure it helps that Waylon and Walker are together as well. You and I are acquaintances, at best.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it does. I also know that we were attracted to one another once. We did end up on dates, and we got on well. So we date; the three of us, together. Maybe something happens with you and me, maybe we just remain friends. Either way, I don’t want to take her from you or you from her. I just want a piece of her, however, she’ll have me.” I swallow the last of my drink and set my glass on the bar, nodding at the bartender for another.
We stay like that, drinking and watching Etta tear up the dance floor with Cain and Aiden, then Oscar, Tatum, and Garnet. She even dances with Molly and Ted. I don’t miss the glances and longing looks this way, but every time I look back at her, she shies away. It’s awkward, but Jess and I just keep chatting and drinking as we watch our girl.Well, I hope she’ll beourgirl.
“You should ask her to dance,” Jess nudges me as the familiar Randy Travis plays. I set my glass down and swagger toward Etta on the dance floor as she watches me approach.
“Wanna dance?” I ask, holding my hand out to her. She looks at me and then past me to, I’m assuming, Jessica.
“Sure,” she whispers shyly. I rest my hands on either side of her full hips as she wraps her arms around my neck and lays her cheek on my chest. We sway slowly to the music as I sing the lyrics to her and mean every line.
Moving her head to look up at me. “We shouldn’t have kissed the other night. It was wrong,” she mumbles.
“I know. I talked to your girl and apologized. We made up,” I assure her.
“You two have looked mighty chummy over there all night long. What are you two up to?” she questions.
“We’re up to nothing. We simply are in love with the same woman, and… well, we both aren’t willing to let her go. So we’re hoping maybe she’ll consider the fact that she has room in her heart for both of us.” The song ends, and she gasps in response to my statement before grabbing my hand and dragging me toward a waiting Jessica.
LORETTA
The three of us stumble into our cabin, a ball of giggles. We danced and drank until the early hours of the morning until the bartender yelled last call. “I had so much fun tonight. Ugh, didn’t Cain and Aiden look absolutely handsome today?” I ask as I sit on the bed and slide my heels off. My feet are so sore, but I left the heels on all night because I was having too much fun to stop and take them off.
“Yes. I’m happy for both of them. They’re adorable together, and I can’t wait for them to start a family,” Jessica says as she squats down in front of me, grabbing my ankle, and undoes the strap on my heel before pulling it off. She drops it next to the bed and holds my leg up, kissing my ankle, then my calf, and then my knee. “I want you, Loretta. Watching you dance all night turned me on, making me want you in every way,” she tells me, and I blush, my core tightening as the millions of butterflies in my belly all suddenly take flight.
“I should head home. It’s late,” Michael voices from behind Jessica. I lift my gaze to find his pupils blown with desire and his breathing coming out rapidly.
“You should stay... sharing her was originally your idea. And from the way she started rubbing her thighs together when I said stay, she doesn’t want you to leave either,” Jessica tells him, and he takes a deep breath in.
